taken 6 years ago, near to Cill Mhuirbhigh and Ourtnagapple, Galway, Ireland

This Ogham stone is by the side of the souvenir shops. Ogham is the earliest form of writing found in Ireland, and is believed to have been in use between around the 4th to 9th centuries A.D. Its alphabet is made up of a series of strokes along or across a line, usually the stone's edge is this line. Ogham inscriptions were carved on standing stones to commemorate someone important. This one is battered and weathered but the inscription, or most of it, can still be seen.

In the background is parked one of the many mini-buses used to get people, mainly tourists, around the island.

Inishmór or Inis Mór or Inishmore or Árainn is the largest of the Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann). In Irish it means Big Island and the Irish language remains the first language of the islanders. There are many variants of the spelling of the name in both Irish and English, some of which are shown here. The islands are located at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland.

Inishmór has a population of around 900 people. In size it is approximately about 14km long by 3.8km wide. It is the most visited of the islands and has many historical sites as well as being famous for Aran sweaters. Not all sweaters sold on the island are made on the Aran Islands, so buyer beware! The main village or town is Kilronan (Cill Rónáin) which has a number of shops, pubs, a small supermarket and other facilities. There are a number of pubs on the island and traditional music can often be heard in them. The island can be reached by various ferries and by air.